i think i am going to add it to the secondary do you think i should use less than half a gallon then?

also the guy at the lhbs told me to add half a pound of roasted barley to this, i did add some but only like 1/4 pound do you think this will greatly affect the recipe i am not sure why i listened to him?

i think i am going to add it to the secondary do you think i should use less than half a gallon then?

also the guy at the lhbs told me to add half a pound of roasted barley to this, i did add some but only like 1/4 pound do you think this will greatly affect the recipe i am not sure why i listened to him?

I didnt brew it, I just ground it, put it in a hop bag, and submerged. I used 6 tablespoons (after it was ground) If I was to do it again I would probably only use 4 tablespoons.

also the guy at the lhbs told me to add half a pound of roasted barley to this, i did add some but only like 1/4 pound do you think this will greatly affect the recipe i am not sure why i listened to him?

I think it will be good, most stout recipes include some roasted barley. It won't be just like mine...but it'll be good anyway.

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Seriously. I'm here for BEER
It's Not The Size Of Your Rig That Counts....It's How Often You Use It.

Not sure where you live, but if you want a great coffee within the U.S. try gimmecoffee and pick the deep disco blend. They are out of NY, and have some really great stuff if you want to order stuff for regular drinking as well.

I tried one after about 4 months and I would have to say stick with 6 not 4, it is less noticable now.

I finally cracked a bottle of this last night. I didn't take extensive tasting notes, so I'm posting from memory.

I decanted into a wet pint glass. Appearance-wise, this beer is very very nice. Black as a yard up a reindeer's butt, with a creamy, tan, persistent head. I like to pour stouts chilled, then let them warm as I taste -- I like to see how the flavors open up. Sorry for the photo quality. The camera on my crackberry is crappy, and I didn't have my real camera handy.

The aroma is definitely stout, with all the roasty notes you'd expect. The coffee aroma is there, but not as sharp as I'd expect from a beer with this much coffee in it.

The first taste (chilled) is dominated by the coffee. On warming to cellar temperatures, the chocolate and malt sweetness arrive, in a good balance to the coffee bitterness. This stout walks the line between sweet stout and bitter stout very well. Hops flavor and aroma are appropriately subdued or absent. The flavor begins with the roast and coffee sharpness, which gives way to mild sweetness and chocolate. I wouldn't drink it with dinner, because of the powerful flavor, but it's one hell of a good dessert beer.

Overall, I'm really happy to have had a chance to drink this beer. It's definitely a sipping beer, and not one I'd want to have 4 or 5 of in an evening. I only wish I had another bottle of it to spare -- only one left, and I'll have to hide it from me if I want to save it for Christmas.

For those who have already brewed this, get ready for a treat. You see so many holiday beers that are (IMO) overly spiced and gimmicky. It's a real pleasure to have a holiday beer that speaks of snowy nights by the fireplace, without having to wade through a sea of allspice and cardamom. Thanks, BigKahuna.